Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-26
REUNION OF Old SOLDIERS.
Meeting Of the Northwestern Soldiers
Association at Sioux City, Iowa
A Notable Gathering.
Interesting Mention Of the Occasion
An Auspicious Opening-Elegant
Weather.
THE FIRST DAY.

1dE FIRST DAY.
The reunion of the Northwestern Sol
diers' association began in Sioux City, H.,
August 16, under very favorable auspices.
The weather was cool and pleasant, and
added greatly to the pleasure OF those in
attendance. The G.. A. R. posts of Sioux
City had done all in their power for the
comfort and entertainment of the many
! visitors, and in this they were heartily as
sisted by private citiz MS. Many business
houses and private reidences were nppro-
priately decorated with the ars and stripes
and G. A. r. banners while hundreds of
coat lapels bore small badges.
Anon the frs. to arrive was battery F,
fourth artillery, under command of Cap
tam Rodney, from Fl. Smelling, MINI. 1t
consisted OF four large guns, us many
ammunition wagons, torty-eight horses,
and sixty-fve men, with the usual quota of
officers. They went INTO camp ut the fair
grounds, and it was interesting to note the
strict discipline maintained, and the Gus
toms of regulsr army life. Everything de-
notes the utmost care and attention. A
lone sentinel, relieved every two hours,
passed methodically on the beat about the
C, mons, and another performed the same
duty in the vicinity of the horses, while
the balance of the boys lounged carelessly
about camp, played cards, spun yarns, and
read aud smoked. The horses IRE of uni
form color and size, being dark bays, and
of heavy weight. During the preliml-
naries OF the opening day this camp was
the nucleus of attraction at the fair grounds,
though many strolled about the 800 tents
which stretched along the south side of the
grounds, reaching down to floral hall
where the Woman's Relief Corps furnished
refreshments. The delegations arriving
the first day were from Sanborn, Primghar,
Cherokee, Onawa, Calliope. Storm Lake,
Ponca, Dakota City, LeAlars, Sibley ana
one or two other places.
special attention was Gen. futile, of Des
Moines, commander in chief of the State
q. A. Il. During the ternoon he address,
ed a crowd o some 800, speaking in the
grand amphitheatre at the fair grounds.
His talk was rather n disappointment to
his listeners, and was hardly such as would
be expected on m occasion of this kind,
being more of political speech than an
bipartisan talk to old soldiers.
BELLE BOYD THE REBEL SPY,
Came in for her share of attention. In
1862 Belle Boyd was in the service of the
confederacy as a spy. While the union
army was encamped about fifty miles from
VIII te Post, Virginia, fine appearing
gentleman entered the camp. 1t was sup
posed that the visitor was citizen WHO
was there out OF curios ty. He remained
for several hours and then suddenly left.
short time after his going negro soldier
informed Capt. Fisher, now of Vermillion,
and who is present at the reunion, that the
late visitor was not man, but the famous
I9a1l
in pursuit of the spy. She was overtaken
just as she was entering her headquarters
at White Post. She had changed her
clothes and was then dressed as n lady.
She was arrested and taken to the Union
camp. She was held as prisoner for some
time and then sent to Washington, where
she was incarcerated in the old capital
prison. She was sentenced to be hanged.
A Union officer in Washington saw her in
Jail and iell in love with her. Through
his efforts she was pardoned ty President
Lincoln and she and her res,uer were mar
ried at the clese of the war.
MARSHAL BARRY, of Elk Point, d. T..
was seriously if not fatally stabbed by
Samuel Mitchell.
The Secretary of the Treasury has re-
ceived report from Capt. Shepard, COM
handing the revenue steamer Rush, dated
at Ounalaska, Alaska, July II and Is, in
which he says that from July 8 to II, he
seized the British schooner N. p. Seward.
and the British steam schooner Dolphin, at
Victoria, B. G., the American schooner
LILY L., of San Francisco, and the British
schooner Grace, in Behring Sea, for VIOLA
tons of the seal fishing laws. The YES
sells were all sent to Sitka, Alaska, and
turned over to the United States Marshal
for prosecution.
The body of an S-year-old boy was
found floating in the river near Nebraska
City.